Everyone knows the story of Rosa Parks, an African-American woman asked to change seats in a public bus for other passengers of a different race. While she has been an epic item of discussion and evolution in the fight of human rights, it has appeared that our society has backtracked.

This past December, Renee Robinowitz was minding her own business on an El Al flight from Newark to Tel Aviv when a flight attendant asked her to move seats. Granted, the first class seat the attendant proposed was an upgrade from Robinowitz’ business class aisle seat but she was skeptical. 

Before the burning question, Robinowitz had noticed several men dressed in Hasidic clothing entering the plane. It became clear that although one of the men’s seats fell next to the window in Robinowitz’ row. For background, many ultra-Orthodox passengers refuse to sit near women.

In 2008, El Al went to court over a case against the Hungarian courts debating its right to search a passenger’s bag without their presence. This case was born after employees of El AL refused to search someone’s bag while they were present. This case was sent to the Supreme Court of Israel on March 19, and the court ruled that El Al’s racial profiling singles out Arab passengers for a more difficult search process and rougher treatment.

So, the Robinowitz incident was not El Al’s first offense to society and passengers that are not just Hasidic Jewish men. This case shines a light on this airline as it takes the world back to the previously reviewed case of Rosa Parks. 

This story is one that should not be in news, because it should not be true. When I heard this story, I was completely appalled that in 2016 an event so resembles one from 1955. Our society should be so far ahead of this sort of event that we look back on Rosa Parks with a sense of relief that people are not as superficial and offensive in our day and age.

Although the civil rights movement has made incredible strides since the time of Mrs. Parks, it is becoming a concern of mine that this progress may only be a facade masking the truth.

This case has opened my eyes to the way our world has been operating, and I cannot say that I am pleased.